The “Prix Enfantaisie” is a Swiss award for children’s and youth literature in French. Every year, an “album” (picture books for children between 7 and 9 years) and a “roman” (novels for children between 10 and 12 years) is awarded. The jury are children. They choose the two winners from a book selection proposed by a group of experts.
The Prize has two main objectives: First, to listen to what children have to say about books and invite them to develop critical thinking about this medium. Second, to celebrate youth literature by recalling its interest and complexity in a globalized editorial context.
Since the price aims also to foster critical discussions about books, the voting system is special: Individual participants read the five books proposed in their age category (“picture book” or “novel”) and vote for the one they prefer. Groups such a school classes, on the other hand, need to find a consensus for their favorite book. They discuss, argue and finally choose a single title they wish to award with the “Prix Enfantaisie”. While individual participants have one vote, the vote of a group counts as twenty votes. This procedure encourages and values the exchange and the discussion between peers around youth literature.
The Swiss Institute for Children’s and Youth Media (ISJM) has been supporting the organization of the Enfantaisie Prize, in partnership with Payot Libraire, since 2008.
Categories: Children, Pupils, Young People